Update: Yankees to honor Hideki Matsui on July 28th

May 30th: The Yankees will indeed honor Matsui on July 28th, his bobblehead day. It’s also the 55th home game of the season. Godzilla will sign the one-day contract that day, then they’ll have an on-field ceremony before the game.

April 29th: … to a one-day contract so he can retire in pinstripes, reports George King. Matsui officially announced the end of his career over the winter, but King says “plans are in the works” for the one-day contract so he can have a ceremonious retirement. The Yankees are giving away Matsui bobbleheads on July 28th, so that seems like as good a day as any for all of this go down. I have no doubt it will awesome.

Now there’s something to sacrifice Ben Francisco to the baseball gods during the Astros series for.

Eddard

Even at his age, Hideki could still rip one down the RF line further than Ben Francisco could ever hope to hit one.

Massparking

We’ll always have 2009.

I was there for game 6 and he lit it up!!!
(and the bit hit vs Pedro 2003)

brian

On paper, the yankees were wise to let him walk after 2009… but i’m not so sure it was really the smart move

look at how much the yankees stuggled to score runs the past 3 postseasons… bottoming out last year after jeter went down in the alcs… you REALLY telling me that Matsui, washed up or not, wouldnt have given them more than they got?? i call bs

regardless, great yankee career and i will go to my grave believing if we got him at 25 instead of 32 we’d have an extra championship or two

Burn Girardi’s Binder

+1

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

I’m calling BS to your BS. Matsui was cooked. Sure, maybe he would have gotten hot in a bizarre stroke of luck, but to say that he definitely would have given them more than they got is REALLY optimistic, to say the least.

AllyAl

No such thing as a ‘stroke of luck’ in Major league sports… These men PRACTICE day in and day out! Players get hot! AND moral plays a huge part in your confidence… I believe he so would have dine better than his replacements in the past 3 seasons! #MatsuiRocks

DC

I’m not familiar with his eating habits, so I’ll take your word that he would dine better than replacement players.

Gil Blanko

He certainly would dine better if he lucked into a hot steak!

jsbrendog

i also call bs on moral playing a big part in their confidence. most of these guys have no morals and are douchebags

this is fun.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Sooooo…cold streaks only occur when players aren’t working hard or something?

Your point escapes me.

Need Pitching & Hitting (but mostly hitting)

Matsui would have been in place of Raul last year so……no.

Jim Is Bored

Cool stuff. Glad that teams do things like this, and the Yankees do them as well as anyone.

Robinson Tilapia

I don’t think it’s cool at all.

Love,
Bubba Crosby

Jim Is Bored

I hate that I’m going to remember Bubba Crosby until the day I die.

And probably after that.

Robinson Tilapia

I fucking love Bubba Crosby. He was, like, the earth’s epicenter of grit.

Jim Is Bored

Oh I don’t hate him

I just wish I were able to remember more important things. But, as far as my brain is concerned, “Bubba Crosby will be the Yankees starting CF!” is apparently priority #1.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Aaron Boone will be the Yankees’ starting first baseman!

Robinson Tilapia

Uhh…

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

And third, of course. He’s using Big Member’s system.

NCYankee

DUDE! I can’t believe you dropped Bubba’s name… I loved Bubba. I was actually at the game when he hit his first MLB home run at Yankee stadium. They played the White Sox. Epic.

Good times…

Teh Manny’z BanWagonz

There was a better chance of Bing Crosby starting in CF that season than Bubba.

Robinson Tilapia

Spoken like a true old man.

Teh Manny’z BanWagonz

Even these youngins’ must have heard of Bing Crosby, right??

Jim Is Bored

Even those of us menstruating have heard of Bing Crosby.

Robinson Tilapia

ROUND TWO! FIGHT!

Gil Blanko

I use his search engine all the time. Natch.

trr

He is like, crap, CRAP! compared to Horace Clarke…

http://www.twitter.com/thewallbreakers Scully

You mean they’re not giving out his porn collection to the 1st 10K people in the stadium!

Teh Manny’z BanWagonz

Supposedly he has over 55K videos. He could give 1 to every fan 18 and older for an entire series.

Robinson Tilapia

Didn’t he get rid of them once he got married? I mean, it’s not a good look when you move the, I mean, teh wife in and half the closet space is taken up by your porn.

Teh Manny’z BanWagonz

I always imagined he had kind of like a bat cave for his porn

Robinson Tilapia

You build the mancave about ten years after you get married, not before. That’s not getting things off to a good start.

trr

Jesus Christ Robby, it was almost 10 years to the day that I got mine – you are right on the button

Robinson Tilapia

Eight years this year. Probably buying a house in two years. :)

Gil Blanko

Depends. Some chicks are into porn.

Pat D

Now the burning question becomes……will they do the same for Johnny Damon?

Robinson Tilapia

But Johnny said it was always his dream to play in Detroit, Tampa and, currently, on his couch.

Bob Buttons

He also told me he’d love to play for my MLB 2K13 team.

Rooting for U.S. Steel

But… but… what about the austerity plans?

DERP

So they let Swisher walk to sign a washed up Matsui?

John

Dude read the article its for 1 day so he can retire as a yankee!!! and ichiro was way cheaper and will be more efficient i love swisher but he striked out alot he wanted a rediculous long term deal…he was worth his time with us but it was time to move on after he was lookin for over what he already made which was what 12 mill? pass they shoulda passed on Afraud too

Greg c

Ichiro is not more efficient than anyone at anything, unless you mean he’s one of the best in MLB at making outs. Even then I’m sure some kid making $500 isa better value.

John

“Kick ass. Pop champagne. And get some ho’s.” – Hideki Matsui

trr

sub beer for champagne and you have encapsulated my college experience

Nuke Guy (Knoxvillain)

With all the veterans who were expected to be washed up on this team, maybe the Yankees should sign him for real.

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

This is so fucking cool. I want to be at this game, I loved that dude. Great hitter and nothing but class.

Mick taylor

When I first saw the headline I thought they were signing him to play in keeping with this year’s old guy magic. Fantastic, love it he is retiring as a yank for he was a clutch great yank. World series m.v.p, had some great years. He used to kill the red sox.

spaghetti lou

Godzilla thank you for all the memories. Thank you also for having a large pornographic collection. When all was lost you came up big.

Juzzil

I hate you for that title Mike.

Cliff Cernek

I have no problem with a Matsui day, but how about Bernie, Jorge, or O’Neill first…

Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

I don’t know about Bernie or Jorge, but in game 5 of the 01′ WS they more or less already had their O’Neill day.

Robinson Tilapia

Jorge will have his day. Bernie may not have his own day, but he’s certainly had some very nice moments at the stadium post-retirement.

We have no clue what the Matsui celebration will look like, so complaining about who gets what is a bit premature. I don’t see him riding a horse in CF.

Randi

Matsui day is more of a ceremonial thing… he’s just going to retire as a Yankee. Bernie & Jorge are going to have their numbers retired.

JLC 776

Very happy to see this! And my wife is out of town leaving my son and I alone… might be a good game to grab some tickets for!

spaghetti lou

Maybe even spaghetti day?

AllyAl

No such thing as a ‘stroke of luck’ in Major league sports… These men PRACTICE day in and day out! Players get hot! AND moral plays a huge part in your confidence… I believe he so would have dine better than his replacements in the past 3 seasons! #MatsuiRocks

Eddard

“Matsui was a Yankee and he should retire a Yankee” my dad just said. Maybe they can bring Johnny back to attend. Get a whole reunion of that 09 club, which would be apropos because that team reminds me a lot of this year’s team.

VT Yankee Fan

I hope they have the celebration on 7/28 since that is the day my family is making the long, long trip to the stadium this year.

RetroRob

A Bobblehead and a free porn tape to the first 25,000 in attendance. He has to get rid of them somehow now that he’s a married man.

CC

Good for Matsui. I had the pleasure of watching him end Pedro Martinez’s career on the mound in Yankee Stadium during game 6 of the 2009 World Series. I will take that night with me to my grave. Between the “GODZILLA” screams and the “WHO’S YOUR DADDY” chants, that is as magical a night as the Yankees have ever had. Weather you believe in “clutch” being skill or not, the guy frequently seemed to step it up when it mattered most and I will forever thank him for that. He has tied the record for both, most hits (14) and total bases (28) in single playoff series (2004 ALCS, not a typo) and is one of 3 men to ever SLG over 1.300 in a single World Series. The other two were Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

My #55 Matsui Jersey is still my favorite… When I lived in NYC, I used to bring Gam-Bah-Ta Go-Ji-Ra signs to the games! Last time I saw him was in Detroit sitting behind him and I did a solo-bleacher creature hello to him! The Tigger fans around me were not pleased and I’m not sure if my wife has forgiven me yet.

The Oberamtmann

Why is this something they have to really plan/work on? It’s not like this is a real contract to play or requires a 40-man move.

Robinson Tilapia

Cashman failed.

Mandy Stankiewicz

Ha. Headline totally got me. Thanks for the heads up on the 28th.

Jerry

If Swisher was smart, he would have asked for a 5 year, $45 million contract. Do you want to retire as an Indian or a Yankee? I saw the 78 Yankees play the 78 Red Sox in Scranton 5 years ago. Goose Gossage pitched 4 innings, he was good enough to pitch one inning in the majors. Matsui can still add something to a team.

Greg c

The union would probably put him on the rack for that. Besides people aren’t in the habit of giving up millions of dollars. Maybe Albert Pujols should have offered to DH for the Yankees for 1 year at 500k

marc

Loved Godzilla. He played like a Champion. But the baseball Gods will never forgive my Yankees for the dirty they did to him in the ’09 offseason.
We could have had him for a lousy 3 mil but instead took another road for DH.
Matsui hit for power, he hit for average, was clutch like Mantle, Kept his mouth shut and played left field like a warrior. He even called a press conference when he broke his wrist diving for a ball to APOLOGIZE to the fans for going on the DL.
Matsui was a Yankee in every sense of the word and we told him to leave after being the World Series MVP.
Hideki, you deserved better from the Yankees. I hope they give you the moon.

tommy cassella

if it weren’t for matsui, the stadium wouldn’t be selling Chinese food. so if it weren’t for him the stadium wouldn’t even have Chinese food,which I love. thanks a million, Godzilla.

Eddie

Matsui? Chinese food? The last I heard was that Matsui was Japanese. He was a class act. He sat alone in the dugout at first because of the language barrier, and didn’t appear to be bothered by it. He never questioned a call, and if he was called out, he was OK with it, and that’s about as cool as you can get. Too bad him and Itchy weren’t there at the same time.